How We Help
Transforming lives through Immunotherapy research
Topic of Cancer is a very personal organisation. Unlike many larger charities and fundraisers, our donors and supporters know exactly where every penny is spent. Furthermore, immunotherapy research is so unique, the research centres so few in the UK, donors can become familiar with the names of those actually performing the research.
Using your immune system to fight cancer
So, what exactly is Immunotherapy?
Imagine if your body could fight cancer on its own. That’s the idea behind immunotherapy – a groundbreaking treatment that supercharges your immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Think of it as giving your body’s natural defense system the boost it needs to tackle one of its toughest challenges: cancer.
How Does Cancer Hide from the Immune System?
Cancer is tricky. It has several ways to hide from your immune system, which is designed to find and destroy abnormal cells. Here’s how cancer cells can stay hidden:
Going Incognito
Cancer cells can reduce their visibility by lowering the expression of markers (tumor antigens) that the immune system uses to spot them.
Pressing the Off Switch
Some cancer cells are able to produce specific proteins that effectively turn off immune cells, preventing them from recognising and attacking the cancer.
Masking Their Environment
They can manipulate their surroundings to release substances that suppress the immune response and help the tumor grow.
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Types of Immunotherapy
1. Immune Checkpoint Modulators
Your immune system has “checkpoints” that prevent it from attacking normal cells. Unfortunately, cancer cells can hijack these checkpoints to protect themselves. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that block these checkpoints, freeing the immune system to attack cancer.
Checkpoint Inhibitors
Drugs like ipilimumab (Yervoy®), nivolumab (Opdivo®), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) have shown success in treating cancers like melanoma and lung cancer by targeting proteins (CTLA-4 and PD-1) that cancers use to shut down immune responses.
2. Immune Cell therapy
This experimental treatment involves boosting the number and effectiveness of immune cells that can attack cancer.
Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs)
T cells are collected from a patient’s tumor, grow and activate them in the lab, and then reintroduce them to the patient’s body to fight the cancer.
CAR T-Cell Therapy
T cells are taken from the patient’s blood, genetically modified to target cancer cells better, and then infused back into the patient.
3. Therapeutic Antibodies
These lab-created antibodies are designed to attach to cancer cells and kill them in different ways.
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)
These antibodies are linked to a toxic substance that kills cancer cells once the antibody binds to them. Examples include ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla®) for breast cancer and brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®) for lymphoma.
Direct Targeting
Some antibodies, like rituximab (Rituxan®), can trigger cancer cells to self-destruct or be attacked by the immune system.
4. Cancer Treatment Vaccines
These vaccines are designed to help your immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. They are often made from the patient’s own tumor cells or substances produced by the tumor.
Sipuleucel-T (Provenge®)
Approved for prostate cancer, this vaccine boosts the body’s natural defences to fight the cancer.
Our Mission
Let’s Make Cancer History
At Topic of Cancer, we’re not just researching these therapies—we’re making them a reality. But we need your help. Your donations directly support our groundbreaking work, helping us understand why immunotherapy works for some patients and not others, and expanding these treatments to more cancer types.
Join us in making history. With your support, we can continue to develop and refine these life-saving therapies. Donate today and be a part of the future of cancer treatment.
Get Involved
Who We’ve Helped
Immunotherapy Success Stories
Some success stories of individuals who have experienced significant breakthroughs in their cancer treatment due to immunotherapy.
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Donate Today!
For as little as the cost of a coffee each week, you can help us get one step closer to a cure. Every donation powers life-saving research and provides vital support for cancer patients. Together, we can make a real difference.
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